Jazzlife, Life in J major
The journey of Jazzlife, Life in J major, begins on Italiana, the new web portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the promotion of culture and Italian language throughout the world.
That’s the title of the web, TV and social media format presented by Umbria Jazz and aimed at telling about Italy’s immense artistic and cultural heritage through the eyes and notes of musicians who best represent the moment of grace that the Italian jazz scene is experiencing.
The launch of Italiana, which aims to promote the best of the Made in Italy worldwide, is the best showcase for this presentation.
A music project and a town of Umbria will act as a common thread for each episode of the first season. Each one will develop through encounters with local personalities, food and wine, art and history. Musicians’ personality and creativity will be the soundtrack to the narration. They can see our Country with passionate eyes, out-of-the-ordinary sensitivities, and unexpected points of view.
“Who could talk about life with a touch of surprise and originality given by improvisation better than them?! Jazzlife sums up all this”. These are the words of Michele Baggio – creator of the format who was inspired by his love for documentaries, high-quality music, and the Umbria Jazz festival for which he’s been working since 2003. “I’m overjoyed that Umbria Jazz supported this project. I think this institution is a crucial landmark in Italian musical history and in the promotion of the artistic and cultural beauty of Italy worldwide. National and international musicians love coming to the Umbria Jazz festival for its immersive atmosphere, the incredible cuisine and the concerts at all hours in outstanding historical places.”
On its way to celebrate 48 years of life in 2021, Umbria Jazz, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, wants to give new impetus and perspective to the enjoyment of music, proposing itself to a new audience made not only of jazz fans, but also of art and culture lovers.
The first season aims at promoting the cultural background of the Umbria region, which was an essential and key element in the success of the festival created in 1973.
Filming began in September 2020 and took place in four historical places of Umbria Jazz: Perugia and Orvieto, which host the summer and winter editions of the festival, Gubbio and Castiglione del Lago, venues of the first touring editions in the 70s.
Fabrizio Bosso Quartet, Rita Marcotulli & Dado Moroni, Gianluca Petrella Cosmic Renaissance and Gabriele Mirabassi Trio performed respectively at the Cassero di Porta Sant’Angelo in Perugia, at the parvis of the Orvieto Cathedral, at the Roman Theatre in Gubbio and at the Rocca del Leone in Castiglione del Lago.
